Fidan tells Berlin press conference the EU is 'incomplete without Türkiye' and calls Israel's Sumud flotilla interception 'piracy'
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside German counterpart Johann Wadephul after the third Turkey-Germany Strategic Dialogue Mechanism meeting in Berlin on Monday, said the EU's accession track for Ankara should be handled "independently of political motives" and that excluding Türkiye from the bloc's defence and security initiatives "contradicts Europe's stated security objectives." He condemned Israel's interception of an estimated 25 ships in the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla as "piracy" and said safe return of activists, including Turkish nationals, was Ankara's top concern. On Iran, Fidan said there was "no immediate threat in practice" but warned that any resumption of the US-Iran war "would bring serious economic and political consequences for the region and beyond."
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint Berlin press conference on Monday that the European Union would remain "incomplete without Türkiye," using the appearance with German counterpart Johann Wadephul to press for an EU accession track handled "independently of political motives" and inclusion in the bloc's defence and industrial policy. "Excluding Türkiye from the European Union's defense and security initiatives contradicts Europe's stated security objectives," Fidan said, calling for deeper cooperation. Wadephul echoed the position, saying Ankara should be included in EU defence and industrial policy work due to shared interests and adding that "if Türkiye wishes to join the European Union, it will find a friendly and reliable partner in Germany." The press conference closed the third Turkey-Germany Strategic Dialogue Mechanism meeting first announced on May 17.
Fidan turned his strongest language on Israel's interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud aid flotilla in international waters. "It is estimated that 25 ships have been intercepted. The term for this in international literature is piracy," he said, framing the operation as a clear violation of international law and maritime security. He said the safety of activists aboard the vessels was Ankara's top concern; Türkiye was coordinating with every country whose nationals were aboard and was working with the relevant institutions to bring Turkish citizens home. He linked the flotilla case back to Türkiye's wider Gaza policy, saying that improving conditions for "more than 2 million people in Gaza" remained Ankara's top priority.
Wadephul added that Ankara had the political and economic weight, and the geography, to exert "significant influence" over the wars in Ukraine and Iran. On the US–Iran track, Fidan said the immediate practical threat was contained but warned that any resumption of fighting "would bring serious economic and political consequences for the region and beyond." "I do not think the Iranian side has a principled problem with accepting the necessary conditions in nuclear negotiations," he said, pledging continued Turkish support for diplomacy. The position aligns with Türkiye's earlier May 12 warning against a resumption of the war and its broader profile in the Iran file, where Ankara has positioned itself as a mediator alongside Qatar and Pakistan.